


where we go from here

by minhyungxuxi



Category: NCT (Band), SuperM (Korea Band)
Genre: M/M, The Last of Us AU, no canon characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:22:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28597656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minhyungxuxi/pseuds/minhyungxuxi
Summary: It's been 25 years since the outbreak.Yukhei and Mark reside in Jackson, Wyoming. A place where a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors.When a violent event disrupts that peace, Mark and Yukhei embark on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closure all while navigating their new found love for each other.
Relationships: Mark Lee/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. as the shrike to your sharp and glorious thorn

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I had been thinking about a lumark the last of us au for a while so this was the result.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy, this is the first chapter of many.
> 
> (chapter title are lyrics from Hozier's song shrike.)
> 
> *I did reupload this chapter but only to change a character's name :)

"Yukhei, c'mon, you gotta wake up already. We're gonna be late!" Yukhei opened his eyes to see Mark sitting on his own bed, already lacing up his boots.

"Fuck, you could've at least let me sleep in a little," Yukhei retorted, although they both knew Mark always let him sleep in later than he was supposed to.

Sunlight had just begun to filter in through the window, sprawling across Yukhei's chest. Still half asleep, Yukhei fumbled to get dressed. He muttered something under his breath about how he wished he could go back to sleep as he pulled on his shirt. Across the room, Mark chuckled in response. Once dressed, he made his way over to the table they had by the front door.

"Which route do we have today?" Yukhei asked, picking up his pistol. He checked the chamber and the magazine before tucking it into the waistband of his jeans.

"Ski resort," Mark answered. "It should be a quick trip."

"Here's hoping," Yukhei joked, thinking about the countless times being out on patrol took longer than it was supposed to. There was never any way to tell how many infected they would encounter. It always ranged from none to a few to even around a dozen at times. Yukhei rummaged through his backpack and made sure he had everything. Canteen, lighter, flashlight, gas mask in case of spores, and some extra ammo for his rifle and pistol. He counted out ten arrows in the makeshift quiver he had sewn into his backpack before putting it on. Of course, Mark had already done all this while he was still asleep. Lastly, he picked up his bow and slung it on his shoulder and placed his switchblade in his back pocket.

Jackson, located in Wyoming was a community where everyone knew each other. People who were tending to the gardens in the greenhouses greeted Yukhei and Mark as they walked by. Kids ran past, begging the two to play with them. Mark always teased that the kids took advantage of Yukhei's height to play spaceship. He never seemed to mind though. Living in Jackson gave the people living there a shot at living a normal life, or at least as normal of a life the world could give them. Marissa, the town's leader, and her father had built Jackson with the idea that it would be self-sustained. Gardens, crops, and hunting was the town's main source of food. Everyone pitched in to help do their part. When Yukhei had first arrived in Jackson, he was surprised to see that they had electricity. It was a rarity in today's world, however, Marissa had told him they had electricity after fixing up a hydroelectric power plant.

After about what seemed like a hundred greetings on their way across town, Yukhei and Mark had arrived at the stables. "Hey, Rex," Yukhei greeted his horse with a pat, his hand running along his chestnut brown fur.

Mark was petting his own horse, Neptune, his fur being a dark brown. "I still don't get why you named him that," Mark teased, knowing his horse's name was just as out of place.

"You bring this up every time," Yukhei exaggerated. "I told you. He has a personality as big as a T-Rex. Fair and simple."

They led their horses out of the stables where Jaehyun was waiting for them. "Welcome, guys. You all know the routine," He handed the two rifles he had in his hands to Yukhei and Mark. "Run your routes. Log the log books, and watch each other's backs. If y'all run into anything you can't handle, you turn right back." The guards on wall duty began opening the gates, making the outside world and Jackson become one.

Yukhei mounted Rex, giving him one last pat before they headed out. He turned to Mark, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Mark replied, and with that they ventured out beyond the walls of Jackson.

* * *

Yukhei often wondered what the world was like before the outbreak. To him, there was no point in doing so since he had been born after it had happened. However, it proved as a great way to pass the time. The world he lived in was the only world he knew. He found it difficult to wrap his head around the things people who were alive before the outbreak had told him. It seemed like a world that was long forgotten, even for those who had been alive to see it. Though, Jackson did seem to give a semblance of what the old world was like. At least to the best of Yukhei's knowledge. Yukhei was told the outbreak had happened due to a mutated strain of the cordyceps fungus. Once infected, the cordyceps took over the brain, driving the host insane. There were several stages of infected. Runners, stalkers, clickers, and bloaters. Each terrible in their own ways. Each deadlier than the last.

"Do you think we'll see any infected today?" Mark asked, his gaze focused on the path up ahead.

Yukhei, lost in thought, almost didn't catch Mark's question. "Yeah, uh, I think so. Jaehyun always warns us about how after winter a large number of infected stay behind after passing through. So, we gotta be careful." The thought of infected made Yukhei tense up, his hands tightening around Rex's reigns. He looked over at Mark who was messing with his saddlebag. He hadn't seemed to have noticed.

A laugh from Mark was met with Yukhei’ response. “What is it?” Yukhei questioned. 

“Lots of infected means we can see who can take out more on patrol,” Mark looked over at Yukhei, a mischievous grin present. Mark and he always played a game where whoever took out less infected meant they had to clean their room and do more chores for a certain period of time. 

“Alright, you’re on.” Yukhei reached out and playfully shoved Mark which nearly resulted in Yukhei falling off of his horse. Mark’s laugh rang out. With how quiet it was, it seemed like it would carry on for miles. The idea of that pleased Yukhei. To think something so bright could exist in a world so dark. 

The sun beating down on Yukhei was a nice change of pace compared to freezing his ass off. Spring had finally rolled around which meant life in Jackson was just a bit easier again. The ski resort stood atop one of the tallest mountains in the area. Patrols often used it as a lookout, but during the winter they abandoned it. Marissa always said it wasn't worth the struggle of moving supplies uphill, especially through snow.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of this view," Mark had hopped off Neptune and was peering down into the valley below. Different villages of small lodge cabins could be seen scattered through the endless number of trees. If you looked far enough, you could see the remnants of a small town. Eventually, other mountains continued to tower over the valley, hiding Jackson from Yukhei and Mark's view.

Yukhei stood next to his best friend, his gaze resting on Mark's expression. Mark often had this way of looking at the world. He saw the world for what it was, but there were these instances where Yukhei noticed him viewing the world for what it could be. Mark looked over at Yukhei and their eyes met.

Sure enough, the unmistakable sound of clickers broke the silence. With clickers, the cordyceps had progressed enough for a fungal plate to grow over the host's eyes, rendering it blind. The fungal plate often made it harder for them to be killed since it acted as an armor. In turn, the clickers being blind meant that they used a clicking sound to be able to detect things around them.

"C'mon, this way," Yukhei gestured with a turn of his head. "We'll go through the second floor first. If we get rushed it'll be a lot harder for any infected downstairs to reach us."

The pair made their way up a flight of stairs before reaching the set of doors that led inside to the second floor. Yukhei guessed one of the patrols had knocked over a vending machine and pushed it up against the doors in a failed attempt to keep the infected out. Luckily for them, that was their way in.

"Up here," Mark stated, stepping up on top of the fallen vending machine. Yukhei looked up to see that the window above the set of doors had been broken in.

Yukhei followed suit and joined Mark's side. "You've always been the smart one." Yukhei bantered, but in truth meant every word.

"Nice of you to finally admit it," Mark responded, a smirk present. He reached up and grabbed the ledge of the window, pulling himself up.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Yukhei answered with an annoyed tone, however, the smile across his face begged to differ.  
A muffled thud was heard on the opposite side of the doors signaling that Mark was inside. Yukhei hoisted himself up and dropped in. Abruptly, Mark tugged Yukhei down behind the welcome desk.

"How many?" Yukhei whispered. He took his bow off from his shoulder, the all too familiar grip of it in his hands giving him an instant feeling of comfort.

"Five, maybe six," Mark shrugged. "Just runners. At least on this floor." Yukhei peeked around the desk and could see the infected walking around different parts of the floor. Runners really lived up to their name. Once they saw you, they would sprint at you full force.

He turned back to face Mark, drawing an arrow from his quiver. "Let's try to do this quietly. May the best man win."

One thing about Mark was that he was sneaky. If you heard him sneaking up on you it was because he wanted you to hear him coming. To the infected's misfortune, that meant they wouldn't even notice Mark coming to take them out.

Before Yukhei could even nock the arrow, Mark had disappeared out from behind the desk. Yukhei stood up and drew back the bowstring. A runner turned to face him, and in an instant, he let the arrow fly. The arrow caught the runner in its left eye, and it dropped to the floor with a thud. To Yukhei's left, he saw Mark sneak up on a runner and take it out with his knife. one and one. Yukhei drew another arrow and nocked it. The sound of another thud meant Mark was now in the lead. Call it cheating, but with precision the next closest infected to Mark was met with an arrow to the head. Mark cursed and gave Yukhei the finger, resulting in Yukhei having to hold back a laugh.

Three more runners were left and Yukhei took the liberty of taking out two of them. They slumped to the ground, any sign of previous life now gone. He left the last one for Mark which left their score at four and three. Yukhei began retrieving his arrows, making sure to clean the arrowheads off on the now dead infected's clothes. Cleaning out a quiver with blood in it was never fun.

He slung his bow back on his shoulder and met up with Mark who was peering over the railing down to the first floor. "Looks like I'm in the lead," Yukhei added.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Mark spoke softly, gesturing down to the first floor with a wave of his hand.

At least a dozen infected were scattered throughout the first floor. Not only were there runners this time, but Yukhei counted out at least three clickers as well.

"Rose isn't going to believe this." He commented, although he was still trying to get an exact number of infected below. Rose, now Yukhei's ex-girlfriend, and him also had an ongoing game of who could take out more infected. It wasn't as fun as Mark’s and his game though, but it was amusing to argue with Rose and accuse the other of lying from time to time. He was definitely going to be the one accused of lying this time around.

Mark stayed quiet, his brows furrowed. "You know, it's been two weeks. You still haven't said why Rose dumped you."

Yukhei felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He had actively been trying to avoid what Rose had told him. Maybe because a part of him knew it was true. Maybe it was a mix of denial and the lack of being able to process it. He did know one thing for sure though. He wasn't ready to tell Mark.

"Rose thought we were better off as friends." Yukhei hadn't meant to start talking but the words had poured out of his mouth before he even realized.

"Why's that?" Mark's expression had softened, but he had the same look in his eyes from when he had initially asked.

Yukhei paused, unsure of what to say next. "She said she caught on way before I did... And that she didn't want to hold me back from my true feelings." He could feel his heart beating out of his chest. If it hadn't been for the noise from the infected below, he was sure Mark would've been able to hear his heart racing.

"Your true feelings?" Mark had finally turned away from the railing and was now facing Yukhei.

Yukhei stayed quiet. If he was really going to tell Mark, he didn't want to do it here. However, he found himself reaching out to grab hold of Mark's hand.

Yukhei had just felt his fingertips connect with the palm of Mark's hand before a stalker came barreling out of nowhere, tackling Yukhei over the railing.

The thing about stalkers was that they hid and watched. They always knew where you were, and they always attacked when you least expected it. Perhaps Yukhei and Mark had been too occupied with their game to have noticed it, but it had been lurking nearby waiting for the right moment to strike.

Mark yelling his name was the only thing Yukhei could hear before hitting the ground. He tried to stand up but the tightness and pain in his chest made it difficult for Yukhei to breathe. He knew infected would be coming at him and not even a second later a runner had him pinned to the ground. It relentlessly began to claw at him. Yukhei fought, trying to push it off of him with any strength he could muster. In the distance, shots and the familiar sound of the bolt of a rifle could be heard. Mark. With one hand, he held the runner at bay until he drew his pistol, putting two shots into its head. A spray of blood landed across Yukhei's face and chest.

"Motherfucker!" Yukhei cursed and he shoved the body off of him. He quickly got up before he could become three for three with the infected attacking him.

Without warning, Mark dropped down next to Yukhei. He let out a wince, but he instantly gave Yukhei a look that said I’m fine.

"We're in this together." Mark nodded, drawing his pistol. With a large handful of infected rampaging at them, the two opened fire, each of their shots being as accurate as the last.  
`  
A vast amount of blood had begun pooling around the corpses of the leftover infected. Yukhei moved to sit on a nearby bench, his shoulders slumped. He put his gun back on safety and tucked it back into his jeans.

"You okay? That was a hard fall," Mark sat down next to him, his hand instinctively grabbing a hold of Yukhei's.

Yukhei rubbed his chest with his free hand, his eyes focused on the floor. "Yeah, uh, the stalker broke my fall. Not like that helped much though." He felt so out of it that he barely registered Mark's hand holding onto his own. He wiped away the blood that had gotten on his face, cleaning his hand off on his jeans.

"We—We should head back... We're losing daylight..." Yukhei spoke softly. He tried to stand up without wincing, but failed miserably.

"I got you," Mark said, reaching out a hand to help steady Yukhei.

* * *

By the time Yukhei and Mark got back to the gates, Marissa was waiting with the guards on duty.

"What took you two so long?!" Marissa was trying not to yell, but it was obvious that she was upset. The pair had been known for goofing off and sometimes taking longer on patrol, so to her defense she had assumed that was the case this time around.

Mark rushed over to help Yukhei off of Rex. His winces turned Marissa's expression from angry to concerned. "Infected. Quite a lot of them at that." Mark told Marissa, letting Yukhei lean against one of the fence posts as he explained the whole situation. Jaehyun was usually there to assess what they saw out on patrol, but Marissa had relieved him once Mark and Yukhei began taking longer than expected.

The sun had just begun to set when Mark and Yukhei reached the clinic. Beds lined both sides of the walls, each with their own table of medical supplies. Amy, Jackson's main doctor came to welcome them. Without any hesitation, she ushered Yukhei to follow her.

"I won't be long," Yukhei reassured Mark, handing his backpack to him. He followed Amy, walking to the back to the exam rooms.

Nearly twenty minutes later, Yukhei returned to the waiting room where Mark was waiting.

"No broken ribs, but there's gonna be a lot of bruising," Yukhei gave a thumbs up to Mark.

"That's a relief. C'mon, it's time to rest. I think we've earned it. I already took our stuff back to our place."

It was such a relief to finally be back in their room. Yukhei had gone into shower first. Soon enough, the blood and sweat from the day's events had been washed away, but the pain in his chest resided.

Yukhei sat shirtless on his bed as Mark showered. He was in a black pair of shorts, feeling the parts of his torso that hurt the most. He finally had time to himself to recall what him and Mark had talked about. To be more precise, what him and Mark had almost talked about. A million thoughts raced through his head. He thought the best solution would be to talk to Rose first thing in the morning.

Mark emerged from the shower in a gray t-shirt and navy-blue shorts. He threw the clothes he wore out on patrol into his hamper and walked over to Yukhei's bed.

"I honestly think that's been our hardest patrol yet," Mark stated, sitting down beside Yukhei. They were close enough that their thighs were touching.

"It's all in good fun, right?" Yukhei was well aware they could've easily both died, but sometimes the humor was needed. It helped things not feel as... heavy.

Mark met Yukhei's remark with a chuckle. The two sat in silence for a minute. People could be heard walking past outside, heading home for the night.

"Where does it hurt?" Mark questioned Yukhei with a concerned glance.

"Mainly my torso... I'm just glad it was me and not you that fell." Yukhei spoke softly, as if he only wanted Mark to hear and no one else.

Mark didn't know what came over him, but by the time he realized it, his fingertips were tracing each of Yukhei' ribs. Eventually, his hand moved down, and began tracing the grooves of Yukhei's stomach.

Yukhei could merely look at Mark. Mark's still damp hair practically fell into his eyes, his gaze following his fingertips along Yukhei's abdomen. Yukhei's hand was now resting on Mark's thigh. Where he thought his mind would be racing a hundred miles per hour, Yukhei felt surprisingly calm.

There was a brief moment when Yukhei thought what if he just showed Mark what Rose had meant. What if there was the off chance that Mark felt the same.

Mark began to draw his hand back, but before he could Yukhei had grabbed hold of it. He pulled Mark closer, their faces now just inches apart.

"Hey," Mark broke the silence, his eye contact unwavering. "What did Rose mean by your true feelings?"

Yukhei pulled back. He had obviously been caught off guard. Without a second thought, he stood up and walked over to his closet. He pulled on the first shirt he saw and made his way to the door where his sneakers were.

"I should tell Jaehyun about what happened today. He's gonna wanna know. I'll be back." Yukhei avoided eye contact with Mark the entire time, and was out the door into the cool night air before Mark could even object.

Mark knew Yukhei looked up to Jaehyun as an older brother. However, there were two things. One, Yukhei always promised Mark he'd never lie to his best friend. And two, Yukhei was a terrible liar.


	2. The worst is death, and death will have his day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you all have been well :)
> 
> (chapter title from Richard II by shakespeare)

Before Jackson, the only way of life Mark knew was living inside a quarantine zone. After the outbreak, the military had attempted to turn most major cities into QZ's. As if walls and the men with guns made them forget what the world was really like out there. A world too far gone. In an attempt to kill most of the infected, the military had bombed the surrounding streets of the QZ's, leaving a barren wasteland for the infected to inevitably take over yet again. His parents always made a point to remind Mark how lucky they were. A life away from the infected. Safety. A resemblance of life from before. Mark always thought that reason was bullshit. He was born after the outbreak. This was the only life he knew. 

Inside the QZ, food ration cards were given out monthly. Though Mark recalled that didn't always guarantee them food. Sometimes they would go days without eating. The military blamed it on food shortages, but his parents always recalled the soldiers never complaining about being hungry. They were forced to live in close living quarters which usually meant illnesses travelled fast. Mark couldn't count the amount of times him or his parents got sick over the years. Regardless of walls and men with guns, that never stopped people from sneaking out of the QZ. This led to the soldiers doing daily checks to scan for any signs of infected. Mark never did get used to the sound of one of the soldiers shooting someone who scanned positive for being infected.

It wouldn't be until Mark was older that he understood why they had to leave the quarantine zone. Too many people had been getting infected and that led to the soldiers interrogating people and trying to find out how they were sneaking out. A lot of those people ended up dead. Mark was only eleven at the time, he wasn't ready for the world. A world he had grown to be so terrified of. 

His parents plan was to head for the quarantine zone in Seattle. There was no way to tell if it was still standing, however, they persisted. Mark had never seen such green before. Nature had taken over the remnants that were left from the life before. Abandoned buildings, destroyed roads, towns once beaming with life were now only left with the sound of the wind. No matter how many times he thought it, Mark wouldn't admit to his parents that he missed the QZ. Most nights he lied awake, too scared of the infected that would grab him once he closed his eyes. He hadn't seen infected up close before, but the journey got him well acquainted with them. Mark didn’t think he’d ever get the way they sounded out of his head. 

It wasn't until one morning they were making their way through an abandoned town that they found themselves surrounded by four men. Mark was so startled, his grip on his knife left his knuckles a pale white. Although a part of him felt relieved to see they weren’t infected. They had their guns drawn, but upon seeing Mark the men quickly lowered them. The man who seemed to be in charge, and who later Mark would find out to be Marissa's husband stepped forward.

"There’s no need to worry. My name's Joseph," He smiled and kneeled down to be at Mark's level, "and what might your name be?"

* * *

Mark trekked across the streets of Jackson, his boots meeting the occasional puddle. Clouds loomed overhead yet the rain had seemed to run its course. His pace was quicker than usual. The excitement of the day being at fault for that. Mark’s parents had asked him to go clear things over with Marissa for the journey waiting ahead. He bounded up the steps of Marissa and Joseph’s porch and anxiously knocked on their door. Before Mark could even think, the door was being pulled open. 

“Happy birthday, kiddo!” Marissa practically yelled, pulling Mark into a hug. 

“I remember you were so small when you arrived here in Jackson. Now you’re nearly as tall as me.” Marissa stated as she guided Mark into her dining room. 

“Surprise, kid. Happy Birthday! You only turn fourteen once! I found these out while on patrol a couple of weeks ago.” Joseph gave him a high five before handing him a box that had been sitting on the table. 

Inside the box was a pile of comics. Spider-Man. X-Men. Avengers. A huge grin had spread across Mark’s face. 

“Thank you–both of you. I–,” Mark stumbled over his words, thought Marissa spoke up in turn. 

“Don’t sweat it, kid. Now you better get going, your parents are waiting at the stables. You can pick these up when you get back.” She followed Mark to the doorway and watched as he ran down the steps in the direction of the stables.

* * *

Mark fiddled with Neptune’s reigns and went over the rules his parents had laid out for him before they left. Don’t wander off. Do exactly as we tell you. Your gun is only in case of emergencies. 

For his birthday, his parents had made plans to take him to a museum that one of their neighbors had found while hunting a couple of months prior. It was only a history museum, but Mark was still over the moon to see it. 

Though most of the museum had seen better days, Mark made the best of it. The gift shop only had empty shelves to offer yet Mark found an old tattered keychain of a cartoon Brachiosaurus eating a bunch of leaves. Mark tried to imagine the museum prior to the outbreak. Full of people, the exhibits not worn from the years of being left unattended. 

Mark's parents had enough trouble keeping up with Mark throughout the dinosaur exhibit. It turned out the books he checked out from the library did prove to be useful. Mark told his parents an endless amount of facts about dinosaurs they were seeing, and his parents were convinced he had managed to memorize all the books he read. 

It wasn't till they were in front of the Tyrannosaurus Rex sculpture that Mark slowed down enough for his parents to catch up. "Now that we have you," Mark's mother took her backpack off her shoulders and kneeled down to open it. She took out a polaroid camera that shockingly looked well taken care of.

"Eric lent it to us." She replied to answer the puzzled look on Marks face. 

"Your birthday gift is back in your room." His dad added, "We figured a guitar of your own would be better than having to borrow one all the time. Don't ask what we had to trade to get it." Mark's dad had been teaching him since they arrived in Jackson, and he taken a liking to playing whenever he could. On the matter of if he was any good or not was a whole other discussion within itself. 

"David!" Mark's mom's voice echoed, "you promised we weren't going to tell him!" His dad held up his hands in defeat except the smile he had begged otherwise.

"C'mon now, to your fourteenth birthday." Mark's mom said and handed the camera over to his dad and sandwiched him in between the two of them.

"We love you, kiddo," She added right before the flash went off. His dad handed him the picture and Mark took a moment to look at it. He had his mother's smile and hid dad's eyes. As long as he could remember it was just them up until Jackson. Even now it still felt like that sometimes. He pulled the journal he had out of his backpack and tucked away the picture for safekeeping.

After what felt like hours and their fourth trip through the museum, Mark's dad stopped them at the entrance. "We should start heading back. We promised Marissa we would return before nightfall." 

Mark protested by avoiding his parent’s gazes and paying far too much attention to the smudge on the floor under his shoe. However, he knew his dad was right. Marissa was lenient, but when it came to town rules she was as strict as ever. They headed out to where their horses were and Mark patted Neptune before climbing onto his saddle.

Though the sun was starting to get low and hadn’t begun to set, Mark's parents kept a smooth pace. The route they took wasn't any of the usual patrol routes so apart from the possibility of getting in trouble with Marissa they didn't want to be struggling to get back in the dark either. 

It felt like it sliced through the air. A man's voice yelling. Then not even seconds later a gunshot. Mark pulled on Neptune's reigns, bringing him to a halt. He looked over at his dad for answer on what to do. 

Without hesitation, he spoke only loud enough to where they could hear. "Behind those buildings. GO!" Mark and his mom quickly followed on their horses but before they could even round the corner, men came out with guns drawn.

"Where do y'all think you're going so fast?" One of the men said, Mark couldn't tell who. He counted out three of them. "All of you off your horses now. Drop your weapons too." Mark's eyes darted from his dad to his mom and she gave him a look that said Just do what they say.  
Mark climbed down off of Neptune and in an instant both his parents were shielding him behind their backs. Both his parents dropped their guns and knives to the floor. Their horses took off running, the sounds of their hooves already fading as they sped away.

"What do you want from us?" His dad asked, his grip on Mark's arm only tightening. 

"The kid, too. Drop his weapons." The man on the right spoke. He was tall and looked to be in his mid-fifties.

"He doesn't have any." Mark's mom spoke, her voice unwavering. The three men seemed skeptical yet they seemed to buy it. Mark could feel the gun tucked into the waistband in the back of his jeans now. It was a feeling he had gotten use too, but now it felt heavier than ever. His knife seemed to be burning a hole in his pocket. He didn't dare to move an inch. The men lowered their guns yet their gazes remained vigilant.

"We want to know about this town you three are from," The man in the middle's voice rang out and Mark recognized it as the man who had initially spoken. He stepped forward towards Mark's dad, rifle in hand. 

"We're not going to tell you." Mark's mom declared. She wanted to get this man's attention away from Mark's dad and it did just the trick. He turned his head to look at her, a sinister smile finding his way onto his lips. Both Mark's parents knew the danger of letting strangers know about the ins and outs of Jackson. Especially to men like them.

"If it's food or supplies you need, we can get you some, but we're not telling you anything." Mark's dad spoke in a calm manner. 

Before another word could be spoken, the man brought down the butt of his gun against Mark's dad's head. He nearly fell back, but his feet quickly moved to regain his balance. 

"Leave him alone!" Mark yelled. He didn't know what came over him, but in an instant, he had his knife in hand. He slashed at the man's face and without thinking he drove the blade into the man's side. He heard his mom yell his name.

This time the butt of the gun found Mark's temple and he stumbled to the ground. He could feel something running down his face and could only assume it was blood. Dizziness overcame him, making him fall back to the ground as he tried to get up. His dad kneeled down next him and was trying to see where Mark had gotten hit though he felt like his dad was a mile away. 

"You little shit!" The man yelled, yanking the knife out of his side. Blood spewed out. A huge gash stretched from his chin to his eyebrow and blood was already staining the man's jacket. "You all are gonna pay, GET UP!" 

Mark's mom was already pleading for her husband and son to get up off the ground, but she quickly stopped once she realized what was happening.

"Fine, I'll tell you what you want to know." This time she was pleading with her voice in order to get the men's attention on her. 

Mark's mom began speaking, but his dad's voice quickly drowned her out. He was talking only loud enough to where Mark could hear him. 

"Mark, when i tell you to run, you run, okay?" As they both stood up, he could feel his dad reaching for the gun in the waistband of his jeans. "We love you so much. Don’t you ever forget that." Mark had no time to react. No time to say anything in return.

"MARK RUN!" Mark took off running as the sound of gunshots rang out. He wanted to stop. He wanted to turn back and go to his parents yet he couldn't. Bullets whizzed by him as his feet struck the earth. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. Jackson had never felt further away than it did in that moment. Tears welled in his eyes but he forced them back. Right now, his parents needed him, and as far as he knew they were still alive.

Mark didn’t know how long he had been running. He just knew the less he paid attention to the pain in his body, the easier it was to keep moving. The sun was setting and the walls of Jackson were in sight. Mark began yelling to get the guys on watch's attention. They noticed him almost instantly and the gates began to open. He practically collided into Joseph's chest once he was past the gates. 

"My mom-" Mark choked on his words, his lungs far too out of breath and tired from running. "Dad, they're in trouble. These men stopped us, they wanted to know about Jack–Jackson. Please Joseph, you gotta go help them!" Mark pleaded like a little kid, his voice tearing through the air. The fear he had been suppressing was finally surfacing. "You gotta take me with you, they need me!" 

Joseph began yelling orders, ones that Mark's ears couldn't seem to register. Joseph's brother Eric pulled Mark off to the side and within minutes Joseph and nine other men took off on horseback. Mark fought and fought against Eric's grip, pleading for Joseph to take him with them. He clawed and swung at Eric until exhaustion took him and the last thing he saw were the gates of Jackson closing shut.

* * *

“It’s been seventeen hours, he hasn’t woken up yet.” Marissa sat at Mark’s bedside inside the infirmary, her hands were closed into fists at her side. 

“He suffered a concussion, Mare. He collapsed from exhaustion. Who knows how long he ran to get back here.” Amy reassured her except Marissa’s face proved that she wasn’t buying it. 

“Do you know if Joseph and the others are back yet?” Amy’s eyebrows were taut, her gaze resting on Mark fast asleep. 

“They got back a couple of hours ago.” Marissa answered, her voice soft. She had been in and out of the clinic. Word travelled fast through Jackson and it had fallen on her to keep panic from climbing to an all-time high. 

Mark suddenly awoke, the lights overhead feeling almost blinding. Most of the pain throughout his body had subsided to a dull ache, a part of him felt like he wouldn’t be able to move. 

“Thank god, you’re awake. We were–” Marissa started, quickly standing up out of her chair. 

“Where are my parents?” Mark cut off Marissa. He sat up and nausea washed over him, making the room practically spin.

Without saying anything, Marissa sat on the side of the bed. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail and she was in the same clothes Mark had last saw her in. The typically composed Marissa seemed to be elsewhere. And as for the wall she usually kept between herself and the world, it was crumbling.

"Mark..." Marissa began. Tears were already welling her eyes. "They didn't make it, I'm sorry." She reached out to hold his hand but he was already pulling it away.

Before he could even register what he was doing he was on his feet and trying to make his way out of the room. "No, no, no, you're wrong! Joseph is still out looking for them!" Mark cried out. Tears were streaming down his face. He pushed past the pain shooting through his body. The nausea. The dizziness. He had to find a way back to his parents.

Amy motioned to stop Mark but he was too quick. Outside of the clinic Joseph was waiting. In truth, he had been working up the nerve to go in and see Mark. He wasn't at fault for what happened. Regardless, a part of him still felt guilty for not reaching Mark's parents in time.

"Joseph, you gotta go back out there! They need our help, they need my help!" At this point Mark was hitting up against Joseph's torso, trying to get him to listen by any means necessary. 

All Joseph could do was hold onto Mark as he continued to yell. "I'm sorry, Mark. I really am."

A darkness found its way into Mark's heart that night, a darkness that would end up following him for years to come.

* * *

It had been almost eight months since Mark lost his parents. With each passing day, the world looked Mark in the eyes, waiting for him to make a move. Not that Mark really had anything left to give. Marissa and Joseph had made him move in with them once the dust had settled. It was the obvious choice, though it only procured small exchanges of words, mostly on the couple's end, and Marissa hovering far more than she cared to admit. In truth, Mark knew they meant well except the empty feeling inside of him would never let him feel that. To him, they felt like ghosts he was living with. A reminder that his actual parents were really gone and were buried down in the cemetery two blocks over. 

Mark never got used to the stares and the condolences he was met with every time he left Marissa and Joseph's house so it was Joseph's solution that he would eat at the mess hall once everyone had left for the night. Lenny, the man who ran the mess hall habitually left Mark enough servings to feed several people. Mark never had an appetite anymore though he still ate what he could only to get Marissa off his back.

The mess hall had become a place Mark had grown used to liking. It didn't change the way things were or the way he felt except it was a place that no one was watching his every move. This time a pot of some sort of soup with vegetables and venison was left for him. Next to it was a bowl already served. As if Mark would be able to eat all that. Lenny meant well, Mark had to remind himself. 

He had pushed his still half full bowl away when the door to the entrance of the mess hall opened. Maybe Lenny thought he had headed home for the night except in walked Marissa and she wasn't alone. A boy followed in after her. He was tall, had dark hair and looked tone about the same age as Mark. Mark had never seen him before. His hair was damp and he seemed to be wearing clothes that was a couple of sizes too big. 

“Mark, I want you to meet Yukhei. Yukhei... Mark.” She gestured in between the two boys. For what it was worth the smile on her face was forced nevertheless the sentiment was there. 

“Um, hi.” Mark greeted Yukhei with a wave of his hand. 

“Hi,” Yukhei answered, his gaze never leaving Mark’s. 

“Yukhei here just got to Jackson and he’s going to be living here now.” She sauntered over to a table against the wall that was laid out with dishes and utensils. 

Handing over the bowl and spoon to Yukhei, she added, “And he’s going to be staying with us.” 

Mark could tell by Yukhei’s expression that they had already gone over that before coming to find him. 

“Okay.” Mark didn’t think anything of it really. In fact, he saw it as an escape. Marissa and Joseph would now be preoccupied with Yukhei rather than him. It seemed they both won in this situation. 

“Okay then. I’ll leave you two to it.” She quickly ushered out of the mess hall, the door closing shut behind her. 

Questions poked inside Mark’s head. Obviously, Yukhei had just gotten here. Where was he from? How did he find Jackson? Why is he alone? He would’ve spoke up, however engaging in conversation hadn’t been his strong suit as of late. 

Mark was convinced Yukhei was someone who knew how to read the room because the entire time he ate he didn’t talk. This allowed Mark to take out the comic he had been reading. Spider-Man. 

The pot of soup was nearly empty when Yukhei finally spoke up although what he couldn’t finish remained in his bowl. “You don’t talk much.” 

Mark shrugged his shoulders, his eyes never leaving the book. “Not really.” A half-truth. 

“So, Marissa is your mom? She’s really nice.” Yukhei spoken completely unaware. 

Mark didn’t know how to answer. He closed his comic book shut and met eyes with Yukhei. “Uh, actually no. I guess you could say guardian.” 

From the look on his face Yukhei knew he was stepping into territory that he shouldn’t. Mark looked defeated when he asked if Marissa was his mom. It was like he yanked off this mask Mark had grown so used to wearing that he didn’t even notice it anymore. 

“So how long have you lived here in Jackson?” Yukhei took this time to look around the mess hall and absorb it all in. Not that it was much, but to Yukhei it felt like a whole new world. 

“Almost four years now. I think you’ll like it.” For a brief second Mark recalled what it felt like arriving in Jackson for the first time. Of course, Yukhei would. 

“That’s good to know. I mean, Marissa said the same thing, but I think she’s obligated to say that.” Yukhei laughed, the sound echoing down the mess hall. “What are you reading?”

“This comic Joseph got me a while back.” Mark answered as Yukhei gestured to ask if he could see it. He nodded in response. It was a sure way to get the conversation away from him and life in Jackson. 

That is until Yukhei moved to sit back down. A loud clank rang out and the remainder of the soup in his bowl splattered all over him and the floor. 

Mark couldn’t remember the last time he smiled much less laughed. A loud chuckle escaped his lips in acknowledgment of the mess Yukhei was now in. 

Yukhei chimed in on the laughter and almost instantly the two boys were in a laughing fit. 

Mark didn’t realize it then and maybe he didn’t even now. However, there it was, waiting for him to reach out his hand. A way to move forward.


	3. Tell me how all this, and love too, will ruin us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (chapter title from RIchard Siken's Crush.)

Mark awoke to the sound of the door to his and Yukhei's place being shut. So, Yukhei had come home after he stormed out. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The events of the day before played over in his head. The two of them going out on patrol. Yukhei getting hurt. Their hands on each other, faces only inches apart. He looked over to Yukhei's bed where they had been sitting only hours ago. Mark tried to make sense of it all. What he felt towards Yukhei. If Yukhei felt anything towards him. To his dismay, he was left with more questions than answers.

He got out of bed, walking over to the closet. The clock read 1:42. Mark was usually never one to oversleep. Lazily, he pulled a black t-shirt over his head once he discarded the shirt he had slept in and put on a pair of jeans. No patrol meant no boots. Sitting back down on his bed, he messed with the tied shoelaces on his canvas sneakers and couldn't help but laugh. Yukhei always teased him about his habit of taking off his shoes without undoing the shoelaces. Not that it ever bothered Yukhei in any way. It was only ever just a way to tease Mark. It was only one of a million jokes Mark could think of that the two had between each other.

Mark closed the door behind him. Their place reminded him too much of Yukhei at the moment and his mind was spinning enough as it was. He couldn't help but remember when they both moved into their own place. After they had both turned sixteen, Marissa had converted the garage out in the backyard of her house into a living space for them. The two of them knew it had been Joseph's idea. It was a peace of mind for both parties. Marissa could still hover, and both Yukhei and Mark could breathe. They were both nineteen now and to this day they both agreed it was Joseph's best idea yet.

The sun had decided to come out that day. It was a nice contrast to the downpour that hadn’t let up the last few days. Voices could be heard off in the distance from where Mark was walking down the street. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits. Mark figured because it was a Saturday. On Saturdays, they would clear out the mess hall and have gatherings and dances. Would Yukhei be there tonight? Should he even go? The two of them usually went together. Mark kicked at the dirt, letting out a sigh of frustration.

Despite Mark not having any work assigned that day, he found ways to keep busy. More so, to try and keep his mind off things. At the clinic, he helped Amy go over their inventory of medical supplies. It wasn't till he was midway counting everything for the third time that Amy thanked him and ushered him out the door. She wasn't set on being there any longer than she had to be.

His next destination were the stables. The horses were fed in the mornings, so Mark's only means of killing time was to brush down Neptune. He would have stayed longer except the smell of animals was never one he could get used to. Inevitably, Mark was running out of things to distract himself with.

Every step Mark took around Jackson made him wonder which direction would lead to Yukhei. Sure, the town was small yet Mark could think of a hundred places he could be. For all he knew, he was just overthinking and Yukhei was off helping Jaehyun with something. Mark had concluded that Yukhei had been lying about going to talk to Jaehyun the night before, but for the sake of his own sanity he was telling himself Jaehyun needed Yukhei's help today.

"Mark! Wait up!" A voice caught Mark's ear. He turned in the direction from where it came and Rose was making her way over to him.

"Hey, Rose." He greeted her with a smile before her arms wrapped around his ribcage, pulling him in for a hug.

"What are you up to? Are you gonna be there tonight?" Rose asked.

Mark hadn't heard what Rose had said. Seeing her had reminded him of the day before when him and Yukhei were out on patrol. He had finally begun to tell Mark why she had dumped him right up until the infected attacked. Even Mark asking Yukhei about it last night was what had caused him to leave in such a hurry. It had to be important.

"Mark? Hey, are you there?!" Rose gave Mark's shoulder a light shove.

"Huh? Yeah, um, sorry I didn't catch that." He quickly diverted his eyes towards her.

Rose laughed, "I asked if you were going tonight."

Mark found himself answering even before he could think it over, "Yeah, I'll be there."

He really didn't feel like going, however, Mark usually went because Marissa always encouraged both him and Yukhei too. She worried too much, and if going helped put her mind at ease about him and Yukhei then he figured he could suck it up once a week. Plus, Mark had secretly grown to enjoy going. Not that he would ever admit that to Marissa. As for Yukhei, he always wanted to go.

"Cool, I'll see you there?" Rose questioned except it felt more like a statement to Mark. To prove his hunch, she was already walking away before he could answer.

Mark wanted to ask Rose about what she had told Yukhei. Would she even tell him if he did? He wasn't even sure how she felt about the breakup on her end. The only way Mark saw it playing out was him having to confess his feelings to the guy he was in love with's ex. That was the last thing Mark wanted.

"See you then," Mark muttered under his breath, watching Rose walk further down the street away from him.

By the time he got back to his place Mark noticed Yukhei had been there. Yukhei never failed to leave the room looking like a tornado had hit after he was done getting ready. So Yukhei would be there tonight. Mark took his time to get ready. He was far too nervous to be in any rush to get to the mess hall.

Whatever this was, despite how Yukhei or he felt, Mark knew one thing for sure. He didn't want to lose his best friend.

* * *

The dance was well underway by the time Mark arrived. Lights had been strung up on the ceilings and walls throughout the mess hall. A soft glow emanated from each and every one of them, basking the guests in light. The tables had been cleared out and a majority of the floor had been converted into space for people to dance. The never-ending noise of chatter and music flooded outside into the open air, making the mess hall the heartbeat of Jackson for the night.

"About time you got here!" Rose practically yelled except the music drowned out most of her voice. She handed him a drink, one that he assumed she had made for him when she thought he would arrive on time.

"I know, I know," Mark replied, taking the drink from Rose. He immediately took a sip of the whiskey, letting the burning sensation pass before he continued. "I couldn't figure out what to wear."

"Very funny," She rolled her eyes. "So, I heard you and Yukhei ran into a lot of infected on patrol yesterday...and that Yukhei got hurt?"

The mention of Yukhei made Mark take another drink. He quickly scanned the room again and to no avail, Yukhei was nowhere in sight.

"Yeah, uh, I think there were close to about thirty. I'm not too sure. And a stalker tackled him over a railing. He fell pretty hard." He answered truthfully, leaning up against the bar. He never drank much as these things yet when he looked down into his glass it was nearly empty. At least he'd be able to take his mind off of things.

"That's probably the most you guys have encountered. Is Yukhei okay?" The tone of her voice sounded concerned. A pang of jealousy hit Mark though he quickly brushed it away.

"Mmhm.. He just has a lot of bruising." The image of Yukhei shirtless on his bed popped into his head and Mark could feel his cheeks burning red. With that, he gestured for another drink and Martin, the man behind the bar, was swift to oblige.

"That's good to hear," She sipped at her drink, "So am i still in the lead?" Rose speculated, referencing the game they all had about who could kill the most infected.

"That's... to be determined." Mark chuckled at the thought. At this point, he couldn't remember who had been in the lead. Yukhei getting hurt had made them forget the tallies for patrol that day. "We were more focused on getting Yukhei back in one piece."

"Then in that case, I remain in the lead." She clinked her drink against Mark's and downed what was left of it.

Mark followed suit despite his second drink still being completely full. He told himself it was to celebrate Rose's reign of first place, but with the more time that passed without seeing Yukhei, the more his nerves seemed to get to him. That is until he began to feel a buzz. Mark trying to distract himself all day had resulted in him forgetting to eat and the alcohol was now making sure he knew that.

Another round of drinks had found their way towards them, and Mark took a long, slow drink from his. He was beginning to feel drunk and liquid courage never amounted to anything good.

"Hey, Rose. Can I ask you something?" He had begun to turn to face her, but that's when he saw him. Through the crowd of people dancing he saw Yukhei walk through the entrance on the opposite side of where they were at. His cheeks were flushed. He had been drinking too. Marissa was beside him and from what Mark could tell, she thanked him before walking off.

"Of course, what is it?" Rose set her drink down to give her attention to Mark. If truth be told, Mark had planned to ask why she dumped Yukhei, but seeing him walking in had rapidly changed his mind.

Yukhei noticed them from afar and started weaving his way through the crowd over to them.

"uh, um, nevermind. I forgot." A terrible lie, but Mark felt like his heart was in his stomach at the moment.

"Hey, you're finally here!" Yukhei exclaimed at Mark when he was only a few steps away. "What took so long?"

Before he could answer, Yukhei took Mark's drink out of his hand and downed what was left of it. He grabbed hold of Mark's hand and began leading him towards the dance floor.

"I'm still in the lead!" Rose called out after them, resulting in Yukhei letting out a laugh.

"I highly doubt that!" He rebutted, though the three of them knew she most likely was.

In reality, things were moving way too quick for Mark to process them. Mark hated fast songs. He wasn't much of a dancer. Not in the way Yukhei was. However, Mark didn't know if he should have thanked or cursed whatever higher power existed. Right before they could reach the middle of the dance floor, the fast song ended and a slow one began to play.

Without warning, Yukhei put Mark's hands on his waist. He followed suit by wrapping his arms around Mark's shoulders, his hands holding onto each other. Yukhei wasn’t too much taller than Mark, but for some reason being this close to him made Mark feel even shorter. He tried not to move his hands too much. Mark could feel the heat of Yukhei's skin even through his shirt and he was convinced it was electric to the touch.

"Can I ask you something?" Yukhei was looking down at Mark as they slowly swayed back and forth. A smile was already forming on his lips so Mark knew he was going to make some joke. "In regard to yesterday, who do you think is in the lead between us?"

Mark laughed at the mention of their ongoing game, his forehead resting against Yukhei's collarbone only momentarily. He looked back up, his eyebrows taut, a smug smile on his face. "I would say I am."

"Wow, so even though you're lying and I am clearly in the lead... Me getting hurt means nothing to you?" Yukhei feigned a pained expression except his laugh soon overpowered him.

Mark joined in on the laughter and just to mess with Yukhei, he lightly punched the right side of his ribs. "You're such an idiot."

Yukhei exaggerated a wince that quickly got drowned out by his laughter. "You love it."

Their swaying to the music hadn't stopped and the two of them found themselves moving even closer to each other. Their faces were nearly as close as they were the night before. Mark could easily rest his head against Yukhei's chest if he wanted to. He could see the few freckles that dotted Yukhei's face and he couldn't help but think that this is how he wanted it. Mark had been the only one that Yukhei's gravity had drawn in and he wanted it to stay just like that. With each passing heartbeat Mark was reminded of his existence and at the center of it all was Yukhei.

"About last night..." Yukhei spoke softly, his voice filling what little space was left between them. "I'm sorry I left like that."

"You don't have to apologize. I overstepped. You can tell me when you're ready to." Mark interjected, his expression soft. He looked past Yukhei's shoulder and could see other people slow dancing. People sitting down and chatting with one another. They all seemed a world away.

"You deserve to know the truth whether I'm ready or not." Yukhei murmured. Their bodies were now so close they could feel the heat coming off of each other. Mark rested his forehead against Yukhei's chest and he could feel his heart beating.

"If you don’t... I mean, I get it, I'm your best friend..." Some part of Mark wanted to make it easier for Yukhei in case he didn't feel the same way Mark felt about him, however, he was at a loss for words. He looked up at Yukhei and braced himself for the worst.

Yukhei's hand moved and rested against the side of Mark's neck, his thumb slowly grazing across his jaw. "Oh, Mark, best friend or not I don't think it'd change the way I feel..."

And just like that Yukhei was kissing him. Yukhei's other hand grabbed hold of Mark's waist and pulled him in until there was nothing left between them. Mark returned the kiss, his arms circling Yukhei. This was something Mark had always thought of doing and now that it was his reality, he didn't ever want it to stop.

Reluctantly, they both eventually pulled away and Yukhei was the first to speak up, "You want to get out of here?"

All Mark could do was smile.

* * *

Yukhei’s fingers were intertwined with Mark’s, their thighs close enough to be touching. After leaving the mess hall they had headed back to their place and had found themselves back on Yukhei's bed. They sat in silence as they usually did sometimes, the presence of one another always being enough. Except this time, it was different. Mark had no way to put it into words, but he knew now that him and Yukhei were closer than they had been before.

“When Rose broke up with me,” Yukhei confessed, “She told me that my true feelings didn’t lie with her. She told me that they lied with you.”

Mark hadn’t expected Yukhei to tell him so soon. He was set on hearing the truth when Yukhei was ready. Although, if the kiss wasn’t enough clarification for what Yukhei hadn’t told him Mark didn’t know what was.

Yukhei continued on, “I’m sorry for running off last night, and disappearing most of today.” He turned to face Mark. As if he had done it a hundred times before, Yukhei reached out and held Mark’s face, his thumb rubbing against Mark’s cheek.

“I wasn’t sure how you felt either. I guess I was scared, too.” Mark admitted, his hand reaching over to rest against Yukhei’s neck.

“There’s no need to be brave...” Yukhei replied seconds before he closed the distance between them and for the second time that night, he kissed Mark.

Yukhei was the one person Mark could be vulnerable around and even now in this new found love, Yukhei was set on proving that. Mark knew from what Yukhei said that he was scared too. This love they had for each other frightened them, but they both knew it was what they wanted most in the world.

Mark leaned into the kiss, his hands holding onto Yukhei's shoulders for support. In one swift movement, Yukhei pulled Mark on towards him. Realizing what position they were in, Mark's cheeks began to burn red. Yukhei was on his back and Mark was on top of him, his knees on both sides of Yukhei's waist.

Yukhei's hands found their way under Mark's shirt, stretching out across him, enveloping him like the morning sun.

Mark pulled away from the kiss, his forehead resting against Yukhei's. "I love you," he said under his breath, his hands caressing the sides of Yukhei's face.

"I love you, too." Yukhei proclaimed. His lips were back on Mark's in no time.

Mark pulled his shirt off over his head and leaned back down besides Yukhei's ear. "Prove it."

* * *

It was expected, even a few days later, for Yukhei and Mark to still be the talk of the town. After all, they had left the dance that night with nearly every pair of eyes on them. Including Marissa's and Joseph's. Yukhei or Mark weren't sure how they were going to react, so they had both been putting off their invitation to have dinner inside the house.

"You ring the doorbell," Yukhei bantered. He gave Mark a light shove so he would be a couple of steps ahead of him.

"We used to live here, why would we need to ring the doorbell? Why are we even going through the front anyways?!" Mark countered as they walked up the steps.

"It's the polite-" Yukhei had started to say when the front door opened.

Marissa walked out and pulled Mark and Yukhei in for a hug, "Hey, you two! Come on inside," She welcomed them in, ushering them over to the dining room.

Like old times, Mark and Yukhei sat in the same seats they had sat in when they still lived under Marissa's roof. Side by side, across from her and Joseph.

"Y'all are actually on time?" Joseph teased, walking out of the kitchen with a platter of venison and potatoes. When they were younger, Mark and Yukhei were always later for dinner. Eventually, the only solution was to have dinner every day at a later time.

"You can thank Mark for that." Yukhei commented, knowing if either of them was more prompt it was Mark.

Joseph sat down and Marissa began serving herself. "So, you all wanna talk about what happened at the dance? Everyone around town is." Marissa asked in the tone that tended to get Mark and Yukhei to do what she wanted. Plus, that was Marissa. Always straight to the point.

Mark and Yukhei exchanged a glance. Both their faces burned a deep red, but their eyes couldn't be any more obvious. Say something.

"I don't mean to pry," Marissa encouraged, "It's just that everyone has asked me so many questions. Plus, I'm so happy for you two. We both are." She smiled, gesturing to Joseph next to her.

"Well, it just sorta happened..." Mark spoke up, paying far too much interest to the food on his plate. With his foot, Mark tried to kick Yukhei as discreetly as he could.

"Um, it felt like the right time, too." Yukhei added, though he didn't sound too convincing.

"Well, they assumed you all did it on purpose. Some big prank or other." Joseph had been so busy eating he hadn't said anything up until then.

"We're serious about it, about us." Mark confirmed. The last thing he wanted was people taking him and Yukhei's relationship as some thought out joke.

"We're happy for you all, truly. There isn't anything either of us wouldn't do for you both. We love you," Marissa spoke with love, showing a side of her that was hardly seen yet always there.

Yukhei and Mark were foolish to think that's all they had to hear for the night. They still hadn't been lectured about their last time out on patrol. Every rule they had already heard a million times got mentioned at the dinner table at least three times. Mark lost count.

It wasn't till Joseph gestured for either of the two boys to say something that they did.

"We're sorry, Marissa. We'll be more careful next time." Mark glanced at Joseph long enough to see him give a nod of approval.

"We will. Promise." Yukhei smiled. Mark had to hold in a laugh. He couldn't count the number of times Yukhei's smile had gotten them out of trouble over the years. He was glad to know it still worked.

Once they had finished eating, Mark and Yukhei helped clear the table. They said their goodbyes and were out the door in no time.

Mark felt like he could finally breathe, "That wasn't... so bad?" He turned to look at Yukhei.

"Yeah, better than expected." He laughed and pulled Mark by the belt towards himself. "They mean well... In their own way."

Marked reached up to kiss Yukhei, his arms circling his waist.

Hesitantly, Yukhei pulled away. "So, what movie do you want to watch tonight?" He asked Mark, his hands now cupping his face.

"Star Wars?" Mark stated in the form of a question. A long groan came from Yukhei's throat, making the both of them laugh.

"If I had known being your boyfriend meant having to say yes to whichever movie you wanted to watch..." Yukhei tried to maintain a serious face, but failed miserably, making their laughter even louder.

"C'mon, after we can watch a movie that you wanna watch." Mark grabbed Yukhei's hand, leading him back to their place behind Marissa and Joseph's house.

And that's when it happened. It tore through the night air, a sound that only Mark could think was an explosion.

An alarm began to sound and a flare shot up above the town of Jackson, painting the night red.


End file.
